SIGNALLING CHANNEL AND RADIO SYSTEM FOR POWER SAVING IN WIRELESS DEVICES

• US 20100110955A1
• Filed: 01/08/2010
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Sich, Edward, Tong, Wen, Wu, Shiquan, Royer, Claude
• Granted Patent: US 8,264,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7103 the interference being multiple access interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2201/70714 Reducing hardware requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2618 Reduction thereof using auxiliary subcarriers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2647 Arrangements specific to the receiver only equalisation H04L27/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0016 Time-frequency-code
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Wireless devices, transmitters, systems and methods are provided that have a narrow band signalling channel and a wide band channel, for example an OFDM channel. In order to save power, the wireless device is nominally powered down with the exception of a receiver specific to the narrow band signalling channel. Once instructed to do so over the narrow band signalling channel, the wireless device wakes up the rest of its wide band receive circuitry.

Claims

1. A transmitter configured to generate a signal containing a wide band signal and a narrow band signal, wherein the narrow band signal contains information instructing particular wireless devices to wake up to receive the wide band signal, the transmitter comprising:

an IFFT function having a plurality of data inputs for generating the wide band signal;

a narrow band modulator for generating the narrow band signal operating at a signalling channel frequency out of an operating bandwidth of the wide band signal.

2. A transmitter configured to generate a signal containing a wide band signal and a narrow band signal, wherein the narrow band signal contains information instructing particular wireless devices to wake up to receive the wide band signal, the transmitter comprising:

an IFFT function having a plurality of data inputs for generating the wide band signal, and at least one zero input in a frequency location(s) where the narrow band signal is to reside;

a narrow band modulator for generating the narrow band signal operating at multiple frequencies.

3. The transmitter of claim 2 wherein:

the narrow band modulator outputs at least signalling channel output in a frequency location(s) where the narrow band signal is to reside.

4. A transmitter configured to generate a signal containing a wide band signal and a narrow band signal, wherein the narrow band signal contains information instructing particular wireless devices to wake up to receive the wide band signal, the transmitter comprising:

a main CDMA signal generator operating in a CDMA bandwidth for generating a main CDMA signal that is the wideband signal;

a signal channel generator operating at one of;

an edge of the CDMA bandwidth for generating a narrow band signalling channel that includes the narrow band signal;

or

outside the CDMA bandwidth for generating a narrow band signalling channel that includes the narrow band signal.

5. A method comprising:

communicating a wide band signal; and

communicating a narrow band signal, the narrow band signal indicating whether or not to wake up a wide band receiver.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the communicating the wide band signal and the narrow band signal comprise transmitting these signals.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the communicating the wide band signal and the narrow band signal comprises receiving these signals.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the wide band signal is OFDM signal with zeros inserted at sub-carrier location(s) where the narrow band signal is to reside.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

examining the narrow band signal to determine whether or not to wake up the wide band receiver; and

waking up the wide band receiver if so determined.